TW201740877A - A method for obtaining the blood pressure of a person, and a device thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

A method, and a related device, for obtaining the blood pressure of a person. The method comprising steps of providing a light source, and an optical sensor configured to detect light from the light source which has propagated through the wrist of a wearer of the device. The amount of light propagating through the wrist depends on the amount of blood in the wrist. Blood pressure is then observed by monitoring the difference in the amplitude of blood pulsation within the wrist when the wrist is lifted above heart level, and when the wrist is lowered below heart level.

Description

Method and device for measuring individual blood pressure

The present invention relates to a device for monitoring blood pressure, particularly a wearable blood pressure monitor.

Blood pressure measurement is a common basic medical test. Knowing the individual's blood pressure values is helpful for medical diagnosis, and when the individual's blood pressure is abnormal, the physician will also be aware of certain diseases that are invisible to the naked eye.

Complete blood pressure detection involves detection of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, which is the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart contracts, and diastolic blood pressure is the pressure in the blood vessels when the heart is relaxed.

The device used to measure blood pressure is called a sphygmomanometer and includes a manual sphygmomanometer and a digital sphygmomanometer. The manual sphygmomanometer includes a cuff for tightening the position of the biceps, and the cuff is tightly positioned at substantially the same height as the heart when the individual is in a sitting position. The cuff is tightly wound around the biceps. When the doctor uses a stethoscope to listen to blood flow in the elbow's radial artery, slowly relax the tight cuff. The cuff pressure recorded at the beginning of the first blood flow pulsation is the systolic pressure. The manual sphygmomanometer is equipped with a mercury column for the operator to record the cuff pressure. When the cuff pressure is further released, the cuff pressure recorded when the blood pulsation sound disappears is the diastolic pressure.

Under normal circumstances, the above method of measuring blood pressure is usually accurate, but it may cause inaccuracies due to operator error, improper use of equipment or improper maintenance.

A digital sphygmomanometer has been developed for ease of portability and to avoid the need to use mercury and train operators. Digital sphygmomanometers are not as accurate as sphygmomanometers that traditionally use a mercury column, but digital sphygmomanometers are accurate enough for individuals to use themselves in their home environment. Most digital sphygmomanometers are the same as manual sphygmomanometers, requiring a tight compression wrap around the individual's biceps. Some digital sphygmomanometers only need to be worn on the wrist or fingers. Regardless of the method used, the sphygmomanometer must be placed at the same height as the heart in the pressurized portion of the cuff. Intravenous sensing of systolic and diastolic pressures using piezoelectric, capacitive or electrostatic pressure sensors. The actual reading is calculated by comparing several pressure values and correction values. Although digital sphygmomanometers are easy to carry, the process of wearing a cuff is complicated in the process of using a digital sphygmomanometer. Therefore, before using a digital sphygmomanometer, it is necessary to find a table and chair for the individual to sit and place the upper limb. This situation often plagues users who are in desperate need of measuring blood pressure in crowded cities. In other words, a blood pressure monitor that provides a degree of privacy will be welcome.

Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus and method for assessing an individual's normal blood pressure to improve usability, convenience, portability, or user privacy.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method for measuring blood pressure of an individual includes the steps of: monitoring a blood pulsation of a body part when one of the body parts moves from a first height to a second height; detecting a first position, wherein the blood pulsation intensity changes if the body part moves from the first position to the first direction, and when the body part moves from the first position to the second direction opposite to the first direction, The intensity of the blood beat is maintained substantially constant; and the first position is taken as an input value and provided to the first computational model, wherein the first computational model is used to measure the individual's blood pressure.

In a primary embodiment of the invention, the blood beat strength refers to the amplitude of the beat, rather than the frequency of the beat.

The present invention provides a blood pressure monitor that does not require a pressure cuff to wrap around the individual's biceps. Accordingly, the present invention also provides a wearable blood pressure monitor that is substantially portable.

In some embodiments, the step of detecting blood pulsation intensity in the body part comprises providing a light source for illuminating the body part; providing an optical sensor for detecting the propagation from the light source through the body part Light; and, measuring the amplitude of the transmitted light. Alternatively, the step of detecting the blood beat strength in the body part includes providing a tone meter to the body part.

In a preferred embodiment, the body part refers to a part of an individual's limb, more preferably an individual's wrist. In this embodiment, the present invention provides a pressure monitor in the form of a wrist worn for individuals who need to regularly monitor blood pressure to wear at any time. Alternatively, the body part refers to the ear canal of the individual. The ear canal is usually undecorated and the location is not the primary wearable position of other wearable devices.

In a preferred embodiment, the detecting the first location comprises detecting an angular displacement of the body part. For example, when the upper limb is rotated with the shoulder as the origin, even if the measurement is performed at different positions of the upper limb, the angular displacement of the measured body part is substantially the same. Therefore, the angular displacement is used to determine that the first position will change with height, so that data from individuals of different heights can be cross-referenced for interpretation.

In certain embodiments, the first location is equal to the individual's heart, or is lower than the individual's heart, and the first location is used to detect the individual's systolic blood pressure. In other embodiments, the first location is higher than the individual's heart and the first location is used to detect an individual's diastolic pressure.

However, in a preferred embodiment, the method for measuring blood pressure of an individual further includes the step of monitoring blood pulsation in the body part when the body part of the individual moves from the third height to the fourth height. Detecting a second position, wherein if the body part moves from the second position to the third direction, the blood beat strength changes, and when the body part moves from the second position to the fourth direction opposite to the third direction When moving, the intensity of the blood beat is maintained to be constant; and the second position is taken as an input value and provided to a second calculation model for measuring the blood pressure of the individual, wherein the first position is used to detect the The individual's systolic blood pressure, while the second position is used to detect the individual's diastolic blood pressure, and vice versa.

Thus, embodiments that measure only the systolic or diastolic blood pressure of an individual, or that measure the systolic and diastolic blood pressures of an individual, are encompassed by the present invention.

A second aspect of the present invention provides a blood pressure monitor worn on an individual's body part, comprising a blood beat monitor; a motion detector for detecting a first height position of the body part, wherein the body part When moving from the first height position to the first direction, the blood pulsation monitor measures the blood pulsation intensity to change the pulsation, and when the body part moves from the first height position 'to the second direction opposite to the first direction, the blood pulsation monitoring The intensity of the blood beat is large to maintain a constant beat; and a data processing module is configured to calculate the blood pressure of the individual based on the first height position.

In a primary embodiment, the blood pulsation intensity refers to the amplitude of the beat, not the frequency of the beat.

In an optional embodiment, the data processing module is configured to wirelessly transmit the first height position to a remote computing model, and calculate an individual blood pressure based on the first height position.

In an optional embodiment, the blood beat monitor includes a light source for illuminating a body part; and an optical sensor for detecting light from a body part of the light source to detect the body The purpose of blood pulsation intensity in the site. Alternatively, the blood beat monitor includes a tone meter for detecting blood beat strength in the body part.

In a preferred embodiment, the body part is the upper limb of the individual, and more preferably the wrist of the individual. The wrist is a more convenient place to wear and can be worn for a long time without discomfort. Therefore, the blood beat monitor provided by the present invention can be used as a wearable device for long-term wear.

In some embodiments, the blood pressure monitor is worn in pairs, wherein one of the pair of blood pressure controllers is worn in the first position of the body part and the other blood pressure controller is adjacent to the first position.

In other embodiments, the body part is the ear canal of an individual.

According to an optional embodiment, the activity detector can also be used to detect a second height position in the body part, and wherein the blood beat monitor is measured if the body part moves from the second height position to the third direction. The blood beat strength changes, and when the body part moves from the second height position to the fourth direction opposite to the third direction, the blood beat monitor measures the intensity of the blood beat to be kept constant, and the data processing module also uses The individual's blood pressure is calculated based on the second height position, which is used to calculate the individual's systolic blood pressure, and the second position is used to calculate the individual's diastolic blood pressure, and vice versa.

Figure 1 shows a blood pressure monitor 100 in the form of a wristband that is similar in appearance to a wristwatch. The bottom of the blood pressure monitor 100 includes a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor. Figure 8 is a schematic diagram of some of the functional modules of the blood pressure monitor 100. A typical PPG sensor includes at least one light source 101 (eg, a light emitting diode (LED)), as shown by a dotted line in the figure, and at least one corresponding optical sensor 103, which is typically disposed at Next to the light source 101, as shown by the dotted line in the figure. The dashed line indicates that the light source 101 and the optical sensor 103 are invisible to the side of the blood pressure monitor 100 facing away from the wearer.

The blood pressure monitor 100 has a strap that can be worn on the wrist. In order to avoid light effects in the environment from being measured by the optical sensor 103, it is recommended to fasten the PPG to the wrist. The strap is designed to apply a known and preset pressure to the wrist. The pressure can be pre-measured using a pressure sensor 105 on the belt. For example, the pressure sensor 105 is a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) barometer. The MEMS barometer can be used as a mechanical pressure release device, and when the band wrapped around the wrist is too tight, the pressure can be slowly released until the preset pressure is reached. Alternatively, the predetermined pressure is generated using a predetermined band material, the elasticity of which is specific, and the same pressure can be repeatedly applied each time the blood pressure monitor 100 is worn on the wrist. Regardless of the method used, when the same individual repeatedly wears the blood pressure monitor 100, the same pressure is applied to the wrist each time.

Light that is projected from the light source 101 into the wrist is scattered through the wrist tissue in all directions. Part of the scattered light propagates to the optical sensor 103. Blood, skin and tissue absorb some of the light. However, the light-transmitting effects of skin and tissues are consistent with the amount of light absorbed by them, with no significant changes. The amount of blood in the wrist pulsates with the heart pump. Therefore, the light absorption value measured when the wrist is full of blood is higher than the relatively small amount of tissue blood.

Figure 2 depicts the pulsation map of light propagation through an individual's wrist. The beat is cyclical and substantially periodic, corresponding to the heart beat. The peak 203 of the signal 201 represents a condition in which the heart is dilated and the blood of the wrist tissue is relatively small, at which time more light is transmitted through the wrist to the optical sensor 103. Figure 3 shows a standard ECG spectrum with several peaks from the electrical signals measured in different heart chambers, denoted PQRST. In Fig. 2, the peak 203 of each signal 201 corresponds to two adjacent R peaks.

In Fig. 2, the trough 205 of the signal 201 occurs when the heart contracts to pump blood to the whole body and the wrist tissue is filled with blood. Since most of the light from the light source 101 is absorbed by the blood, only a small amount of light can reach the optical sensor 103.

Figure 4 shows an individual 300 wearing the blood pressure monitor 100 of Figure 1. The strap of the monitor 100 is tightly wrapped around the wrist of the individual. The sustained pressure exerted by the band acts as a counter-pressure against the intravascular pressure of the wrist. This back pressure is continuously applied during the wear of the blood pressure monitor 100 and causes slight deformation of the blood vessels in the wrist. The degree of deformation depends on the pressure within the blood vessel and affects the amount of blood pumped into the wrist.

It is known that the pressure is related to the height. The higher the height from the ground plane, the smaller the pressure. Conversely, the closer to the ground plane, the greater the pressure. The same is true of the pressure in the wrist. When the individual 300 lifts the hand to a higher hand position than the heart, the blood pressure in the wrist is lowered. The lower blood pressure is relatively weak for the sustained back pressure exerted by the opposing band. Therefore, the deformation of the blood vessels caused by the back pressure of the band is more pronounced (see the mark 491 in Fig. 4), and the blood pumping blood to the blood vessels in the wrist is less.

Conversely, when the hand of the individual 300 is lower than the position of the heart, the amount of blood pumped to the blood vessels in the wrist is greater. When a higher blood pressure acts on the counter-pressure, the deformed blood vessels in the wrist are slightly restored (see the mark 493 in Fig. 4), so that more blood is pumped into the blood vessels of the wrist.

Thus, Figure 4 shows two light propagation signals associated with vascular deformation markers 491 or 493, respectively. The signal at the top of Figure 4 has a larger beat amplitude because there is less blood on the wrist in the upper hand position; more light can propagate through the wrist tissue to the optical sensor 103. The amplitude of the beat at the bottom of Figure 4 is small, because there is more blood on the wrist; more blood in the wrist means that most of the light will be absorbed by the blood, and the light that can travel through the wrist tissue to reach the optical sensor 103 is better. less.

Figure 5 shows how to determine systolic and diastolic blood pressure in the high and low hand positions. The left side of the horizontal axis is the low hand position and the right side of the horizontal axis is the high hand position.

In order to monitor the individual's blood pressure, the individual takes the preparation position, ie stands and extends the hand wearing the pressure monitor 100. Extend your hand away from the individual, at the same level as the shoulder. Next, the height of the hand is moved downward from the shoulder toward the side of the individual, and the position of the wrist is substantially lower than the heart. As the individual's hand moves down, the amount of blood pumping to the wrist rises steadily, causing an increase in the pressure of the blood vessels in the hand (see gradient 501a). Therefore, since the hand is placed in the lower hand position, the beat amplitude of the light passing through the wrist tissue is reduced. When the hand is below a certain point of the heart, the pressure of the blood vessels in the wrist can overcome the back pressure and the amount of blood pumped into the wrist is the maximum amount. At this particular point, the amplitude of the beat propagated through the wrist tissue is zero, that is, the intersection of the gradient 501a map and the horizontal axis. The height of the wrist at this intersection is indicated by the dashed line 503, which is the measurement of the systolic pressure. In a few cases, the hand moves closer to the side of the individual 300, but the gradient 501a does not intersect the horizontal axis, and the gradient can be applied by extrapolation.

Lift the hand that extends outward and is at the same level as the shoulder. As the hand moves up, the blood pressure drops and the amount of blood pumped into the wrist is less due to the back pressure of the band. See gradient 501a again. Eventually, the blood pressure in the upwardly raised hand will drop to the only diastolic pressure. Thus, when the hand is lifted up to a certain point above the heart, a steady-state will be reached: even if the hand is further lifted, the amount of blood pumped to the hand is still minimal. The diastolic pressure provides the minimum amount of blood in the hand, which is converted to the minimum amount of light absorption and is the maximum transmittance. The point 501 is that when the light pulsation through the wrist begins to appear stable, the maximum amplitude indicates that the wrist height position can measure the diastolic pressure.

When the movement starts, the wrist is lower than the height of the heart, and the hand does not need to be lifted. The starting position of the hand lift can be the shoulder, even if the shoulder is lower than the heart. This is because diastolic pressure can occur when the hand is usually higher than the shoulder.

Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that with the maximum stable amplitude and the minimum stable amplitude, it is possible to observe natural variations in which the signal amplitude falls above and below the average.

When the hand is in a position to exhibit diastolic and systolic pressure, it is detected by the wrist wearing a blood pressure monitor 100, where the term "hand" should be interpreted broadly to cover the wrist.

Measuring the height of the wrist from the ground is the easiest to understand. However, in theory the height of the wrist can be referenced to a predetermined point of the individual's heart position. Figure 4 depicts the scheme in which the height of the wrist raised upwards is indicated by H1. H1 is the distance between the height of the wrist and the height of the heart, which can be used to measure the diastolic pressure, which means that the measurement of H1 is perpendicular to the ground. Furthermore, Figure 4 shows the lower wrist height, indicated by H2, where H2 is the distance between the wrist height and the heart height from which the systolic pressure can be measured.

The blood pressure monitor 100 can be used to determine the individual's diastolic and systolic pressures and provide some information to the user. However, in order to more accurately assess blood pressure, the amplitude of light propagating through the wrist can be used as a mathematical model or a corrected reference value.

The correction method shown by the mathematical model is shown in Fig. 6. The horizontal axis in Fig. 6 represents the height of the wrist. The vertical axis represents the blood pressure value derived from the height of the wrist. The relationship between the two axes is shown by the following equations (1a) and (1b). Where X ₁ = diastolic blood pressure, meaning the minimum value of blood pressure h = the height of the rise (ie, H1 in Figure 4) Where X2 = systolic blood pressure, meaning the maximum value of blood pressure (ie, H2 in Fig. 4) h = height of rise (ie, H2 in Fig. 4) The two functions f and f' usually provide the same shape Graphics.

Referring to Fig. 5, H1 is found by finding a point 501 when the individual hand is lifted up, which is where the light propagation begins to show the maximum stable amplitude. H2 is found by the individual hand looking down for point 503, which is where the light propagation amplitude is reduced to zero or intersects the horizontal axis. Furthermore, any change in the same individual H1 and H2 can cause an individual's blood pressure to change when the band is able to repeatedly apply precise back pressure.

In fact, the correction or mathematical model can be obtained by theoretically or observing a sample population of users who are aware of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and who wear the blood pressure monitor 100. This is related to the statistical method and will not be further explained here. In some embodiments, point 501 is found using a series of discrete locations on the hand and applying a mathematical disclosure. As shown in Figure 5a, as the hand moves to four different heights, the transmitted light amplitude is observed, indicated by a cross symbol. Again, the four different heights do not coincide with point 501. Although point 501 is determined by applying known mathematical model 501b to the cross-signs, rather than actually passing through blood pressure monitor 100.

As shown in FIG. 8, the blood pressure monitor 100 includes a calculation module 1001 and a software module 1015 adapted to calculate individual blood pressure at H1 and H2, and a display screen 1007 for displaying systolic blood pressure and relaxation of the individual. Pressure. Alternatively, the blood pressure monitor 100 does not have any computing module, but the distal device calculates the systolic and diastolic pressures. The remote device can be a smart phone that can be communicatively coupled to the blood pressure monitor 100 in a wireless manner, and the remote device can take H1 and H2 from the blood pressure monitor 100 to calculate the systolic and diastolic pressures of the individual. In this example, the blood pressure monitor 100 includes a wireless transceiver that is communicatively coupled to the smart phone.

In an unnecessary embodiment, an accelerometer 1003 or similar device can be utilized to determine the actual height of the hand lifted or lowered. Of course, the operator can also manually measure H1 and H2, and then input H1 and H2 into the blood pressure monitor 100 via the keyboard 1009.

Figure 6 shows the linear equations (1a) and (1b). However, linearity is only one of the examples. In fact, the equation can also be non-linear. The skill and the relevant person can understand that the blood pressure of the individual 300 can actually be expressed by the H1 and H2 functions.

Figure 7 shows another aspect of the embodiment shown in Figure 4, where H1 and H2 are measurements of height relative to the shoulder of the individual 300, rather than points relative to the ground or representing the individual's heart. This embodiment is more convenient, the shoulder is easier to observe than the heart, and the diastolic and systolic pressures can be measured separately above or below the shoulder. Those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that equations (1a) and (1b) can also be applied to the definitions of different H1 and H2.

One of the advantages of this embodiment is that the PPG sensor is used to measure blood pulsation and calculate blood pressure from the pulsation. The foregoing objective is achieved because the present invention utilizes a PPG sensor to detect different readings at different locations from the same body part. The composition of the individual 300 tissue is the same regardless of where the body part is placed. Thus, detection at different locations, the effects of skin and tissue effects on light transmission can be ruled out, and changes in light transmission between different locations are caused by the amount of blood in the body part.

Measuring the blood pressure using the distance between two different wrist positions may be more accurate than using a mercury column to measure blood pressure. The blood pressure is measured by body fluids, assuming it is comparable to water, and is more accurate because the measurement scale is larger than the mercury column. Mercury has a relative density of 13.56 compared to water, so a 13.56 mm error in the wrist relative to the shoulder or heart is 1 mm error converted to a mercury column. If measured with an artificial mercury column, an error of 2 mm is produced. For example, this error corresponds to an error of 27.2 mm in the wrist of the present invention, which is difficult for the user to ignore.

To ensure proper measurement of H1 and H2, the blood pressure monitor 100 can be further provided with an accelerometer 1003 or any other height detecting unit. The blood pressure monitor 100 further includes an alarm 1013, and if the accelerometer 1003 has excessive deviation at a known height, a correction alarm is issued in time.

Whether it is relative to the ground, shoulders or heart, H1 and H2 are difficult to measure. Figure 9 shows a preferred embodiment to overcome the difficulty; the blood pressure monitor 100 is provided with a gyroscope 100 to detect angular deviations that are truly perpendicular to the ground. When the wrist wearing the blood pressure monitor 100 protrudes in the horizontal direction, the gyroscope 1003 is indeed perpendicular to the ground. Therefore, the individual wearing the blood pressure monitor 100 as shown in Fig. 9 can detect the angle at which the blood pressure monitor 100 moves when lifting the hand from the height of the heart.

When the individual hand is lifted outward, the point at which the light propagating through the wrist reaches a stable maximum value represents the minimum amount of blood pulsation in the wrist, and the measurement represents the first angle α at which the blood pressure monitor 100 deviates from the true vertical line angle. Furthermore, the angle α is where the diastolic pressure can be measured. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that alpha can be used to calculate the extent to which the hand or upper limb is rotated upward from the level, preferably from the shoulder of the individual.

Conversely, when the individual moves the hand outward and downward away from the shoulder horizontally, this point is the point at which the amplitude of light propagation through the wrist is reduced to zero and intersects the horizontal axis, which represents the maximum blood volume in the wrist. A second angle β representing the deviation of the blood pressure monitor 100 from the other corner of the true vertical line is taken. The beta angle is where the systolic pressure can be measured. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that β can be used to calculate the extent to which a hand or upper limb is rotated downward from the level, approximately at the shoulder of the individual.

For different individuals with different blood pressure values, the alpha angle and the beta angle are also different. As shown in Figure 10, individuals with high diastolic blood pressure have small alpha values, as follows:

When you want to measure the diastolic pressure (on 501), the height you need to raise your hand above the shoulder is higher, relative to the true vertical line. The greater the angular deviation, and the lower the individual diastolic pressure; when measuring the diastolic pressure (on 501), the lower the height above the shoulder, the lower the height, relative to the true vertical line. The smaller the angular deviation, the greater the individual's diastolic blood pressure.

Conversely, individuals with high systolic blood pressure have large beta values. To measure systolic blood pressure (at 503), the lower the height below the shoulder (and the heart), the greater the deviation from the true vertical line. therefore, Systolic pressure.

In other words, a larger β value has a larger systolic blood pressure; an individual with a lower systolic blood pressure can measure the systolic blood pressure by simply lowering the hand to a relatively small β value.

The blood pressure is measured by the angular displacement, and it is not necessary to measure the absolute height of the hand relative to the heart, shoulder or the ground; this is an advantage of the present embodiment over the foregoing embodiment, because the blood pressure monitor 100 is worn on the wrist when blood pressure is measured under different conditions. The position is easily changed, making the measurement of H1 and H2 inaccurate. In one application of the present embodiment, the individual can easily grasp the door handle and move through standing (allowing the individual's hand to be below the height of the heart) and underarming (allowing the individual's hand to be above the heart height). The blood pressure is measured; the gyro can measure the position of the hand above the head or below the shoulder by the angular displacement.

Fig. 11 is a view showing a conventional procedure for measuring blood pressure using the embodiment shown in Fig. 1. First, in step 1101, when the body part is lifted up in the first position, that is, the aforementioned embodiment, the amount of light propagating through the body part (e.g., wrist) is measured. Next, in step 1103, when the body part is in the second position, that is, the hand position is low, the amount of light propagation is measured again. This embodiment also covers the aspect in which the hand is initially at a lower position and then the hand is lifted up. The body part pulsation amplitude is at a maximum at 501, and the pulsation amplitude is zero at 503. The values are recorded and applied to a calibration or mathematical model to determine diastolic and systolic pressure (step 1105).

Figure 12 shows a blood pressure monitor 100 including a PPG sensor that is worn around an individual's arm or biceps, in accordance with other embodiments. In order for the blood pressure monitor 100 to be able to cross the heart when the arm is lifted up and down, the blood pressure monitor 100 is worn as close as possible to the elbow. Similar to the previous embodiment, H1 and H2 are measured at distances of the blood pressure monitor 100 relative to the ground, shoulder and heart height, and blood pressure is calculated using a correction or mathematical model. Additionally, the blood pressure monitor 100 can include a gyroscope for determining angular deviations α and β.

It is also possible to use other parts of the upper body limb, such as the wrist, such as the fingers or other parts of the forearm, as long as the part can move up or down away from the heart.

Figure 13 is a view showing a pair of blood pressure monitors 100 arranged in pairs according to another embodiment of the present invention. When worn, the first blood pressure monitor 100 is placed on the wrist and another blood pressure monitor 100 is placed adjacent thereto. The first blood pressure monitor 100 is located. The blood pressure monitor 100 worn on the forearm may be configured to include a longer strap, or a stronger light source 101 for illuminating a thicker tissue layer of the forearm, and may also be configured with a A more sensitive optical sensor 103 detects light that propagates through the forearm (thicker tissue). Any inaccuracies or differences in readings measured between the two blood pressure monitors 100 can be mathematically processed and removed to obtain a more accurate blood pressure reading. The advantages of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 are more easily understood. In this embodiment, since the angular displacements of the blood pressure monitors 100 are the same as the true vertical lines, regardless of the placement positions of the devices on the same limb, While the two blood pressure monitors 100 measure H1 and H2 from the heart, shoulder or ground, different corrections are required, respectively.

As shown in the previous embodiments, the amount of light that propagates through the skin, blood, and tissue of the individual is monitored, and in fact the measured value can be a light transmission value or an absorption value.

As described above, the measurement of the position of the wrist is moved downward by the height of the shoulder, and those skilled in the art can understand that the direction of the movement is not limited, and the wrist can also move from the side of the individual toward the height of the shoulder. In a similar embodiment, other aforementioned limb movements can also be performed in the reverse direction.

Although the drawings shown in this specification show that the individual's hands are lifted and lowered laterally, they can also be lifted up and down when the individual's hands are stretched forward.

The amount of light absorbed by blood in an individual tissue depends on the frequency of light used. Therefore, in order to enable the present embodiment to exhibit optimal efficacy, the optimum frequency is usually selected. In some embodiments, the blood pulsation readings can be discerned from the effects of interference factors (eg, ambient light, etc.) using two or more different optical frequency or frequency range measurements simultaneously. For example, monochromatic near infrared rays and far infrared rays are used at the same time.

While the individual 300 wearing the blood pressure monitor 100 is in an upright position as described in the embodiments, the hand moves vertically up and down; in other embodiments, the individual 300 wearing the blood pressure monitor 100 can lie on the bed. In an embodiment lying on a bed, the individual's hand wearing the blood pressure monitor 100 is moved from the back of the individual to the front, so that the individual's hand passes vertically through the individual's heart.

In still other embodiments, the wearable blood pressure monitor 100 is worn in a wrist-worn manner. The individual is lying on the bed to monitor the individual's blood pressure. When the leg wearing the monitor of the present invention is placed flat on the bed in parallel with the heart, a measurement is made, and the measurement is performed again when the leg is lifted upward into the air above the heart.

While the above embodiments utilize the light propagation amplitude to monitor blood beats, this approach can also be replaced by non-optical measurements. For example, the blood pressure monitor 100 can be provided with a tone meter to replace the PPG. The tone meter is an instrument that measures the pressure in a part of the body or blood vessel. The amplitude of the beat can be corrected with blood pressure using a pattern similar to the propagating light beat amplitude. It should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that, as in the foregoing embodiments, a larger amplitude obtained by PPG measurement means that more light is transmitted, so that blood in the wrist is less; relatively, when using pitch timing, larger The amplitude represents more blood pumping into the wrist. The corrections and equations are explained below.

In other embodiments, the blood pressure monitor 100 can be configured as an earwear device, as shown in FIG. The earwear includes an earplug that is provided with a light source 101 and an optical sensor 103, and a gyroscope. The configuration of the earplug is adapted to be worn in the ear canal. The blood pressure monitor 100 can be connected to a device via a wired or wireless connection, such as a display screen or a smart phone 1401, which can be used to display the readings of the blood pressure monitor 100. The display screen or smart phone 1401 also provides an interface for the individual 300 to manipulate the blood pressure monitor 100. Furthermore, the smart phone can provide processing and memory resources to calculate blood pressure based on readings measured by the optical sensor 103 in the earbud 1501. In the foregoing manner, it is not necessary to provide a processor in the earplug 1501, so that a small volume can be maintained. In contrast, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 , the blood pressure monitor 100 of the present invention is large enough to be equipped with a processor and a memory, and therefore, the smart phone can be easily used to operate the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 . invention. The specifications of the smart device suitable for operating the blood pressure monitor 100 are well known and will not be further described herein.

Among the non-essential embodiments, in Fig. 14, the blood pressure monitor 100 worn by the individual has only the function of measuring blood pressure. In other words, the blood pressure monitor 100 in the form of an earbud is only a headphone. Fig. 15 shows another aspect of the embodiment shown in Fig. 14, wherein the earphone is a hook earphone, and the speaker is packaged in the earplug 1501 for insertion into the ear canal. As with the embodiment shown in Fig. 14, the earplug 1501 is provided with a light source 101 and a sensor for monitoring blood pulsation in the ear canal.

Fig. 16 and Fig. 17 show how the light source 101 and the optical sensor 103 are disposed in the earplug 1501 shown in Fig. 15. In general, the earplug 1501 is comprised of a variable, resilient outer portion 1701 and is sized to fit into an individual's ear canal.

Figure 16 depicts the core portion of the earplug 1501 removing the resilient outer portion. Figure 17 is a schematic illustration of assembly with an elastic outer portion 1701, as shown in an embodiment. The earphone 1501 includes a speaker 1703 and a hollow core 1601 for conducting sound from the speaker to the ear, and an elastic inner foaming structure 1603 for providing softness and elasticity, and a thin wire (not shown). It is used to connect the light source 101 and the optical sensor 103. The elastic outer portion 1701 increases the comfort when worn, and protects the light source 101 and the optical sensor 103. During placement of the ear tip 1501 into the ear, the resilient inner foam structure 1603 can be squeezed to further provide support in the ear canal. Figure 16 illustrates three sets 1605 of light sources 101 and optical sensors 103 arranged in pairs, arranged around the earbuds and each set spaced 120 degrees apart. As shown, one of the sets clearly shows the configuration of the light source 101 and the optical sensor 103 for the reader, while the other groups are oriented away from the side of the reader.

The blood pressure monitor shown in the embodiment of Fig. 14 or Fig. 15 is used to measure blood pressure, and the individual 300 measures the amount of light that propagates through the tissue of the individual's ear, and then needs to sit and re-measure the light transmitted through the ear tissue of the individual through the detection light. the amount. On the other hand, changes in blood pulsations in the ear canal between the lying and sitting positions can be found by observing changes in the amplitude of light propagation through the ear tissue. When the individual is lying down, the height of the ear and the heart are approximately the same, and the blood pressure in the ear canal has a similar effect, as the ear canal is lower than the height of the heart. When an individual sits up, the ear is much higher than the heart. Therefore, the present embodiment also includes a gyroscope for detecting individual individuals 300 lying and sitting, and taking alpha and beta values to calculate systolic and diastolic blood pressure, or capable of measuring when the individual is standing. The height of the ear canal is detected by the H1 value for calculating the diastolic pressure. In this embodiment, no back pressure is applied to the wall of the ear canal.

In an embodiment, a tone meter can also be used in place of the light source 101 and the optical sensor 103 for detection in the ear canal.

Although the individual to which the blood pressure monitoring of the present invention is applied is generally referred to as a human, but is not limited thereto, any animal capable of wearing the device to detect blood pulsation can monitor blood pressure using the present invention, and wherein the body part It refers to the ability to move between the two positions corresponding to the animal's heart.

Furthermore, the method for measuring the blood pressure of an individual 300 according to an embodiment comprises the steps of: monitoring the pulsation of blood in the body part when one of the body parts of the individual 300 moves from the first height to the second height; detecting a first a position, wherein if the body part moves from the first position 501 (or 503) in the first direction, the blood beat strength changes, and when the body part is from the first position 501 (or 503) in the opposite direction to the first direction When moving in the second direction, the intensity of the blood beat is substantially constant; and the first position is taken as an input value and provided to the first calculation model, wherein the first calculation model is used to measure the blood pressure of the individual.

In addition, according to another embodiment, the blood pressure monitor 100 is suitable for being worn on a body part of an individual; the blood pressure monitor 100 includes a blood beat monitor and a motion detector for detecting a body part. a height position, wherein if the body part moves from the first height position in the first direction, the blood beat strength change is measured by the blood beat monitor, and when the body part is from the first height position to the first direction When moving in the opposite second direction, the intensity of the blood beat is substantially constant, which can also be measured by the blood beat monitor; and a data processing module for calculating the blood pressure of the individual based on the first height position.

Although the embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in the above embodiments, the present invention is not intended to limit the invention, and the present invention may be practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Various changes and modifications may be made thereto, and the scope of the invention is defined by the scope of the appended claims.

The main component symbols are listed below: 100‧‧‧ Blood Pressure Monitor 101‧‧‧Light source 103‧‧‧ Optical Sensor 105‧‧‧pressure sensor 201‧‧‧ Signal 203‧‧‧Crest 205‧‧‧ trough 300‧‧‧ individuals 491, 493‧‧‧ mark 501a‧‧ gradation 503‧‧ points 501‧‧‧dotted line 1001‧‧‧Computation Module 1003‧‧‧Accelerometer/Gyro 1007‧‧‧ display screen 1009‧‧‧ keyboard 1011‧‧‧Wireless transmitter 1013‧‧‧Alarm 1015‧‧‧Software module 1401‧‧‧Smart Phone 1501‧‧ Earplugs 1601‧‧‧ hollow core 1603‧‧‧Flexible internal foam structure 1701‧‧‧Flexible exterior 1703‧‧‧Speakers

To make the invention more apparent, the drawings illustrate possible configurations of the invention, wherein the same integers refer to the same parts. The present invention may also be embodied in other configurations, and thus, the drawings are not intended to limit the invention.

1 is a device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a signal measured by the device shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a standard electrocardiogram for explaining the signal of FIG. 2; Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the user using the apparatus shown in the embodiment of Figure 1; Figure 5 is a diagram showing how the apparatus shown in the embodiment of Figure 1 measures the signal; Figure 5a shows how the mathematical model is applied to Figure 5. Embodiments; Figure 6 shows how the signal is measured (as shown in Figure 5) for correction; Figure 7 shows a different aspect of the embodiment shown in Figure 4; Figure 8 is the embodiment of Figure 1. Schematic diagram of each member; Fig. 9 shows another different aspect of the embodiment shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 10 shows a correction mode different from that shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 11 shows the embodiment used in Fig. 1 FIG. 12 is another aspect of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 according to another embodiment; FIG. 13 is another aspect of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 according to still another embodiment; Figure 14 is an embodiment shown in Fig. 1 according to still another embodiment. Other aspects; Fig. 15 is a view showing another embodiment of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 according to still another embodiment; Fig. 16 is a view showing a part of the embodiment shown in Fig. 15; and Fig. 17 further Show the part shown in Figure 16.

100‧‧‧ Blood Pressure Monitor

101‧‧‧Light source

103‧‧‧ Optical Sensor

105‧‧‧pressure sensor

Claims (19)

A method for measuring a blood pressure of a body, comprising the steps of: monitoring a pulse of blood in the body part when the body part of the individual moves from a first height to a second height; detecting a first position, wherein The blood beat strength changes when the body part moves from the first position in a first direction, and when the body part moves from the first position to a second direction opposite the first direction, The intensity of the blood beat is then maintained constant; and the first position is taken as an input value and provided to a first computational model, wherein the first computational model is used to measure the blood pressure of the individual. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting blood pulsation intensity in the body part comprises: providing a light source for illuminating the body part; providing an optical sensor for detecting propagation from the light source Light from the body part; and measuring the amplitude of the transmitted light. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting blood pulsation strength in the body part comprises: providing a tone meter to the body part. The method of any of claims 1-3, wherein the body part is part of a limb of the individual. The method of claim 4, wherein the limb portion of the individual is a wrist. The method of any of claims 1-3, wherein the body part is an ear canal of the individual. The method of any of claims 1-3, wherein the detecting the first location comprises the step of detecting an angular displacement of the body part. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first position and the individual's cardiac position are at or below the individual heart; and the first position is used to measure the individual's contraction Pressure. The method of any of claims 1-3, wherein the first location is higher than the heart of the individual; and the first location is to measure the diastolic pressure of the individual. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the steps of: monitoring a pulse of blood in the body part when the body part of the individual moves from a third height to a fourth height; detecting one a second position, wherein the blood beat strength changes when the body part moves from the first position to the third direction, and when the body part moves from the second position to a fourth direction opposite the third direction At the same time, the intensity of the blood beat is substantially constant; and the second position is taken as an input value and provided to a second calculation model, wherein the second calculation model is used to measure the blood pressure of the individual; One position is used to measure the systolic or diastolic pressure of the individual; and the second position is used to measure the systolic or diastolic pressure of the individual. A blood pressure monitor that can be worn on a body part of a body, comprising: a blood beat monitor; a motion detector for detecting a first height position of the body part, wherein the body part The blood pulsation monitor detects a change in blood pulsation intensity when moving from the first height position to the first direction, and when the body part moves from the first height position to a second direction opposite to the first direction The blood beat monitor detects that the intensity of the blood beat is substantially constant; and a data processing module for calculating the blood pressure of the individual based on the first height position. The blood pressure monitor of claim 11, wherein the data processing module is capable of wirelessly transmitting the first height position to a remote computing model for calculating the blood pressure of the individual based on the first height position. The blood pressure monitor of claim 11, wherein the blood pulse monitor comprises: a light source for illuminating the body part; and an optical sensor for detecting light of the light source passing through the body part. The blood pressure monitor of claim 11, wherein the blood beat monitor further comprises a tone meter. The blood pressure monitor of any of claims 11-14, wherein the body part is the individual's wrist. The blood pressure monitor of claim 15, wherein the blood pressure monitor is worn in pairs, wherein one of the pair of blood pressure controllers is worn in a first position of the body part, and A blood pressure controller is worn adjacent to the first position. The blood pressure monitor of claim 16, wherein the body part is an ear canal of the individual. The blood pressure monitor of claim 17, wherein the activity detector comprises a gravity sensor for detecting an angular displacement of the body part; and the first height position is represented by an angular displacement of the body part . The blood pressure monitor of claim 18, wherein: the activity detector is configured to detect a second height position of the body part, and wherein the body part is in a third direction from the second height position When moving, the blood beat monitor detects a change in blood beat strength, and when the body part moves from the second height position to a fourth direction opposite to the third direction, the blood beat monitor detects The intensity of the blood beat is substantially constant; and the data processing module is configured to calculate the blood pressure of the individual based on the second height position; wherein the first position is used to calculate one of systolic or diastolic blood pressure of the individual And the second position is used to calculate the systolic or diastolic pressure of the individual.